refrigerator meat cooler

[blacktailchaser]

just asking if any has done this....i have an idea of turning an old refrigerator into a meat cooler for cutting my own meat...one thing i am having trouble with(in my head)is air flow...or does it even need it...SO has any one done this idea...thanks john

[elk nailer]

When the temp is above 40 I do it!

[blacktailchaser]

elk nailer...i am thinking you mean if the temp is above 40 you use a cooler...i think...i am trying to figure out if air flow is needed in this type of cooler.... or if any one is use ing a frig for a cooler and what is there set up like...

[Pat B]

When I lived in coastal SC I had an old frig in the garage that I used to age deer meat. I took the shoulders, hams, ribs and divided the back in two and placed then on the wire racks(old frig) where none of the meat toughed. After 10 to 14 days I would take it off the bone, package it and put in the freezer for later use.
 When you do this the meat develops a skin of dried meat(darkens in color) that is removed before cutting it up for freezing.

[blacktailchaser]

hello pat..good to hear from you..so it sounds like you had no trouble with air cirulation...was your frig running...i thought about trying to find one that is broken and putting blocks of ice in the bottom of it...thanks for the help..john

[durp]

I've done both...I use the fridge more for keeping the meat from freezing while it ages in cold weather (don't much care for cutting frozen meat)...I have used an old chest freezer with blocks of ice in the bottom then set elk quarters on it in Sept heat and had no issues at all...hope this helps! 

[elk nailer]

blacktailchaser,  used my barn fridge to age my elk quarters for 14 days. worked great.

[T Sunstone]

I've got a side by side fridge that I made a rack for to hang a deer with the hide on.  Cut the legs and head off and a normal size doe fits fine.  Usually hang the for 2 weeks.

[kennym]

Last years buck I quartered up and wrapped in plastic wrap to avoid the dried meat on outside, worked very well for the few days I left it in the garage refrigerator.

[Skipmaster1]

A small fan would be ideal. Air circulation really helps.
We finally just made an 8x8 walk in that uses a window A/C and coolbot

[Pat B]

My old frig was running. This was in coastal SC and our hunting season started August 15 so you can imagine the heat there. There was enough air movement in the frig and as long as the meat didn't touch it worked fine. If it did touch it would start decomposing but aging meat is a controlled decomposition anyway hence more tender meat after aging.

[blacktailchaser]

thanks so much for the help guys...i means alot...now i can have more confidence in the project...john

[Ryan Rothhaar]

If you want a bit of circulation one option is a small usb plug rechargeable desk fan. I bought one for a few bucks from Amazon to put in my chest freezer at our place in Georgia when I leave, unplugged and open, to help it dry out inside. It runs a day or 2 on a charge, maybe 4 inches diameter, and oscillates. Just plug in a couple hours to recharge, then put it back in fridge....I'm sure you'll be checking the meat every day anyway.

R

[Overspined]

Last years buck I quartered up and wrapped in plastic wrap to avoid the dried meat on outside, worked very well for the few days I left it in the garage refrigerator.

I purposely dry meat. It cooks better it browns and doesn’t “gray”.

[Judd]

Blacktailchaser-
I used to use an old refrigerator to age my deer, and got tired of having a refrig sitting unused for 10 months out of the year.
Not to mention the maintenance, whether scheduled or not.
Saw a you tube video a few years back that explained how to age meat in a cooler (Yeti type) with ice.
I use an 85 qt. Cordova (should really be a super cooler to reduce ice usage) which will easily hold a large whitetail, with all meat de boned.
I start the process usually the day after the kill to let the carcass drain a little. it is also easier to skin the deer as soon as you can.
Leave the meat in bigger portions, just clean off as much fat and sinew as you can.
Put 4"-6" of ice in the bottom first, spread out all the meat on the ice, you can stack the different cuts on top of each other if necessary.
Add additional ice on top of the meat to fill the remaining space to fill the cooler.
The entire time the meat is in the cooler ( I age for 14 days) you should drain the melted water once or twice a day.
Depending upon the temperature the cooler is exposed to, will determine the additional ice you will need to replenish the melted ice.
The theory is that the meat is at a constant aging temp. which will control the aging process.
I have a friend that ages for 21 days, and the meat is great, I don't notice any difference between 14 and 21 days.
Another nice aspect is that you can package at your leisure, I usually take a day or two to finish the vacuum packaging, (another process I highly recommend) after work at night.
I used to let the deer hang in my garage and angst over the daily temps and when to finish butcher. 
This method is very controlled and no worries about outside temps.

[Mark R]

I now do the same as Judd, I do not use a high priced Yeti just about any big cooler will work, drain and add ice as needed usually every 2 to 3 days as to not let the meat sit in cold water. A week to a month should be fine, once the meet is chilled you can freeze gallon milk jugs or other big plastic bottles in your freezer to cut down on trips to buy ice.

[mnbwhtr]

I have a small freezer in my garage that I slipped an external thermostat set at 38 degrees into. works great. I've never used any fan but it might work.   

[GCook]

Last years buck I quartered up and wrapped in plastic wrap to avoid the dried meat on outside, worked very well for the few days I left it in the garage refrigerator.

Excellent suggestion.